Performance duty uniform for law enforcement and other uniformed personnel

ABSTRACT

For uniformed personnel a shirt having a concealed belly pocket which overlies the inside surface of one of said front left and right panels of the shirt, this pocket being closed at the top, bottom and one end, and having an opposite open end which can be closed with a zipper that is located along the seam between one front panel and the back panel and extending generally vertically downward from beneath the arm to an area near the waist of the shirt.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119, 120 based upon applicant's Provisional Application, Ser. No. 60/800,968 filed May 16, 2006.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is in the field of uniforms worn by law enforcement, fire and other uniformed personnel, and particularly by persons who need to carry special equipment such as a two-way radio, a weapon, a bullet-proof vest or other body armor inside or on the uniform and to have a concealed pocket in the uniform. This invention pertains to both Class A “Dress” or “Appearance” uniforms and Class B “Utility” or “Work” uniforms.

2. Background of the Invention

In police departments across the country police personnel Class A or “dress” uniforms are the standard for normal workdays, whereas Class B or “work or utility” uniforms are usually limited in use for tactical functions, SWAT team, search, rescue and emergency service units and the like. The Class B “work” uniforms tend to be more comfortable and more functional, in contrast to the Class A “dress” uniforms that obviously need to provide an official and neat appearance. In actual use, however, Class A uniforms must also accommodate numerous items of special equipment which basic Class A shirt-and-pants uniforms were never intended to hold or hide. For example, a bulletproof vest, of necessity, is thick, bulky and somewhat stiff, so that shirttails of a uniform shirt covering such vest will tend to pull out from the pants' waistband. There are many circumstances where a policeman is wearing a Class A uniform without special equipment, but where the policeman is physically active, by running, squatting and/or bending, where normal shirt tails tend to come out. These uniforms will not only appear sloppy, which is inconsistent with typical police or military philosophy, but it may interfere with a policeman's ability to carry out his duties with his weapons, communication or other equipment. For many, shirttails even partially hanging out of a waistband are annoying, uncomfortable, and/or aesthetically displeasing.

Class A uniforms become further distorted by the equipment carried on or in the uniforms, such as a heavy belt around the waist for a gun, a nightstick or billy club, a two-way radio and a ticket pad. Many devices and shirt and/or pants constructions have been developed in efforts to try to retain shirttails neatly within pants' waistbands, examples being disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 6,088,831; 5,123,120; and 3,298,036. Still further but less relevant prior art patents include: 2,223,621; 3,590,390; 3,638,658; 3,930,090; 5,515,544; and Japan 10-130-901.

Obviously, a pants-and-shirt uniform will have numerous pockets, but there are practical limits. In shirts, for example, pockets are essentially limited to the upper front area, with the back, waist and collar being impractical areas for pockets and the sleeves being too small for useful pockets and also impractical for pockets if an outer jacket will be worn. Uniform pants have the usual front and rear pockets which are internal and essentially not visible except for the conventional access slits. Rear patch pockets, as seen on typical dungarees, are not considered acceptable dress for Class A uniforms, and furthermore have very limited capacity, because they lie flat and close to the seat portion of the pants.

A pocket invention that has been used with military “field” uniforms, where appearance obviously defaults to utility, is an external cargo pocket which, due to side gussets or pleats, may have the ability to expand to hold very large capacity. Such cargo pockets have been positioned along the outside surface of each pant leg side, positioned near the thigh, the knee and/or the calf.

External cargo pockets not only have great utility, but have become immensely popular in casual non-military clothing and in Class B utility uniforms. These cargo pockets may in fact not even have side gussets or pleats, but are still known as cargo pockets due to their large storage capacity and positioning on the side of the pant leg. However, such external cargo pockets are not acceptable for use in Class A uniforms for police departments and for many other governmental or business organizations or military dress uniforms.

Many prior art shirt and/or pants construction have been developed in efforts to provide additional or different pocket spaces, examples being disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,977,602; 4,464,798; 4,498,200; 4,561,124; 5,669,078; 6,175,966; 6,253,379; US2003/0150042; and Japan 0221003.

A third problem area with current Class A uniforms is the conventional but awkward attachment of a microphone to a shirt collar or front breast pocket. Placement on collars and pockets is often not optimum for voice communication, and such placement with conventional clips eventually damages the fabric and thus damages the appearance of these most visible portions of the shirt. A number of prior art microphone attachment means have been developed in efforts to provide quick, easy and good functional attachment, examples being disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,641,760; 3,940,039; 5,111,981; 5,886,739; 5,915,609; US2003/0019015; and US2004/0187183.

A fourth area of interest in Class A uniform structure is concealed pockets that are reasonably large and accessible while being hidden from view. A few samples of known concealed pockets include: (a) a pocket situated to generally underlie a basic front pocket in a pair of pants with the slit opening hidden by a thin flap of material near the opening of the basic pocket, and (b) pockets accessible by reaching inside and past the lapel area to a pocket opening that is on an inside surface of a front panel of a shirt or jacket.

In summary, the present invention addresses four problem areas:

a. shirttails coming out of waistbands because of active running, bending or squatting, or because of body armor and/or other equipment pulling or protruding,

b. dress pants having insufficient large capacity pockets for the greater amount of hidden utility equipment required to be carried,

c. awkward and fabric damaging attachment of microphones to shirt collars and/or front pockets, and

d. pockets that are concealed but readily accessible from the outside of the shirt portion of a Class A uniform.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE NEW INVENTION

This invention is an improved uniform that provides both Class A appearance and Class B functionality in a new dress uniform for law enforcement and other uniformed personnel who need to carry, on or inside the uniform, special equipment such as a two-way radio, a weapon, a bullet-proof vest or other body armor and miscellaneous other items. This uniform invention comprises pants and shirts alone or in combination, having new structural features that address any one or any combination of the three problem areas described above. More specifically, a first feature to restrain shirttails neatly within a wearer's waistband is a pants-and-shirt shirttail retainer combination which includes a set of mating soft silicone (or other sticky or textured, friction producing material) strips of particular size, shape and location on the internal surface of the pants' waistband and on the external surface of the shirttail, respectively. Preferably, the strips lie horizontally on the waistband and vertically on the shirttail, where pressure contact of one strip on the other creates a friction force that effectively bars the shirttail from rising from the waistband. This shirttail retainer functions passively, in that no awareness or action of the user is required for it to function as intended. Thus, there is no need for a user to join or separate coupling means or to even think about them.

The second feature of this invention is a hidden cargo pocket situated on the inside surface of the pants' outseam in the area extending from the thigh to the calf, or possibly lower. In one preferred embodiment the new hidden internal cargo pocket will be located on the inside of the pants, generally opposite the location of a common external cargo pocket. Such a hidden internal cargo pocket will provide capacity generally similar to that of a conventional external cargo pocket and will be accessible from the outside, but will be essentially not visible except for the access slit at the top (upper lip). The pocket may employ gussets along the side edges for expansion purposes and may employ a zipper or other closure means at the top. If the pocket is filled, there might be a bulge but due to its internal button securing the pocket to the outseam, as the pocket is filled it expands to the inside of the wearer's leg, and not to the outside, creating minimal visible bulge. And either way, the outside seam will still be neat and uninterrupted by a conventional visible external pocket.

A third feature of this invention, in summary, is a microphone sling designed to replace conventional spring clips for attachment of a microphone to a collar or to a shirt pocket. The new microphone sling is an elongated strap having a proximal portion adapted to engage a microphone and a distal portion adapted to releasably engage a button or other coupling means situated beneath a shoulder epaulet. The coupling means could be a button sewn to the shoulder of the shirt beneath the epaulet for coupling to a button hole in the distal end of the sling, or the coupling means could be mating snap buttons or mating Velcro® elements. In all cases, the coupling means beneath the epaulet, when not in use, is either not visible or is essentially not noticeable. When the microphone sling is used, its proximal end positions the microphone to be laterally spaced from the collar and at an elevation above the breast pocket, this location being functionally and aesthetically better than attachment to the collar or to the pocket, and of course, with this sling there is no damage to the collar, to the epaulet, or to the pocket. As indicated above, when the sling is not needed, it can be easily removed, leaving an official dress uniform appearance of the shirt.

It is thus an objective of this invention to provide a Class A duty uniform that has improved functionality and performance in any or all of the above-described three features, while maintaining a neat and official dress appearance. Since a police officer, for example, may wear a bullet proof vest and wear a microphone and carry so much equipment that a cargo pocket is needed, all the novel features of this invention are included and coordinated with the shirt and pants combinations; however, these three features could be employed in different combinations or separately. In all cases, an official and neat appearance can now be better maintained. Excellent appearance of the uniform helps maintain respect from the community and self-respect and pride by the wearer.

The new hidden and secure internal cargo pocket will avoid the interruption of the smooth line along the outside seam of a pants leg that occurs with a conventional external cargo pocket, and more significantly will allow a neater, uninterrupted external stripe down the outside seam of many uniforms which until now was achievable only with pants having no cargo pockets. Securing this internal pocket with a button to a buttonhole loop inside the pant outseam not only allows for post-production customization of the external stripe, but also allows the pocket to expand to the inside of wearer's leg instead of seeing a visible bulge on the outside, and secures the pocket from flopping about when the wearer walks or runs and from sagging down when the wearer sits.

The new shirttail retainer is particularly useful to overcome the problem of shirttails pulling out due to the body armor and other equipment worn inside the shirt or on the shirt or on the pants hanging from the waist.

The new microphone sling will avoid the prior art procedure where a microphone is clipped onto a collar, or an epaulet, or a pocket which causes the look of patchwork or “jerry rigging” with unsightly pulling on one of these attachment points, as opposed to an official uniform appearance.

A fourth feature of this invention is a concealed “belly pocket” situated inside and underlying the right or left front panel of the shirt of the Class A uniform at an elevation generally below the bottom of the arm part and above the waist part. This pocket has closed top and bottom parts and a central longitudinal axis extending between one closed end and an opposite open end. This central longitudinal axis extends transversely of the vertical central axis of the shirt. The closed end of the pocket is fixed to the front edge of one front panel, and the open end is fixed to the seam area joining the front and rear panels. This pocket extends from beneath the arm part downward toward the waist part. The open end of the pocket comprises front and rear edges respectively of the front and rear sheets forming the pocket. These front and rear edges of the pocket are each attached to front and rear strips of a zipper closure. To simplify said zipper attachment and simultaneously to assure concealment of the zipper, each terminal edge of the pocket is sandwiched between one zipper strip and one folded back flap of the back or front panel.

One objective of this inventive feature is to provide a concealed pocket, particularly for documents and other generally flat articles, that is still readily accessible. Prior art vests worn underneath a shirt require at least unbuttoning or partial removal of the shirt before a document can be retrieved. The new belly pocket lies generally adjacent the wearer's belly and is attached to the shirt in a way that does not telegraph to a third party observer that a pocket lies beneath the front panel of the shirt. To achieve this concealment the attachment includes no stitching or other attachment means such as stitch lines, rivets or snaps that could be observed from the front of the shirt. To retain the front panel of the shirt as basically flat except for the breast pocket and the placket strip extending down the front inside edge of the front panel, the new concealed pocket is attached only by its closed end along said placket and by its open end along the vertical seam joining the front and back panels.

The closed end of the pocket is sewn into the area of and concealed by the front placket strip, with the stitching hidden beneath the narrow marginal flap of the placket. The opposite open end is sewn to adjacent and mating zipper strips which in turn are sewn to adjacent edge of the front and back panels in the area of the seam which joins these panels beneath an arm part of the shirt. In the area of the zipper this seam joining the front and back panels is open (unsewn) to allow access to the pocket interior. With a shirt and pocket of this structure, the user can access the pocket interior without unbuttoning the front of the shirt, and thus without even partially undressing.

In a second version of the new shirt, the belly pocket is situated again adjacent a front panel of the shirt; however, access is via a zipper situated adjacent and concealed behind the edge of the front placket, with the closed end of the pocket sewn into the seam joining the front and back panels beneath the arm part.

One final optional feature for both the woman's and the man's version of the new shirt is a support strap extending from the top of the belly pocket to the top of the front panel, with no stitching visible at the outside front surface of the shirt that would suggest the existence of the secret pocket.

The new duty uniform of this invention provides the comfort and functionality of a Class B uniform with the neat and professional appearance of a traditional Class A dress uniform.

A preferred embodiment of the shirttail retainer portion of this invention includes a shirt worn with pants,

a. wherein said shirt includes front and rear panels, each said panel having an upper portion, an opposite shirttail portion and a waist portion between said upper and shirttail portions, said waist portion having an outward facing surface, and

b. said pants include a waistband at the top with a radially inward facing surface adapted to contact said shirt waist portion when it is worn within said pants waistband, said shirttail retainer comprising:

-   -   i. a friction strip fixed to and extending around at least part         of said inward facing surface of said pants waistband, and     -   ii. a plurality of friction elements circumferentially spaced         around and fixed to said outward facing surface of said waist         portion of said shirt, said friction strip and said friction         elements each comprising a thin layer of silicone rubber, said         friction elements, when pressed into contact with said friction         strip, as a result of said pants waistband being urged radially         inward against said waist portion of said shirt, establishing a         frictional force that resists movement of said shirt waist         portion upward relative to said pants waistband.

A preferred embodiment of the microphone sling portion of this invention is a shirt and microphone sling combination for releasably holding a microphone having an attachment clip, comprising:

a. a shirt having:

-   -   i. front and rear, right and left fabric panels, each panel         having a top portion,     -   ii. a right shoulder between said top portions of said right         front and rear panels and a left shoulder between said left         front and rear panels, and     -   iii. a collar between said shoulders,

b. an epaulet affixed atop each of said shoulders,

c. a first coupling means affixed atop at least one of said shoulders and beneath said epaulet thereon, and

d. a microphone sling formed as a strip having top and bottom parts, said top part having a second coupling means attachable to said first coupling means with said strip hanging downward therefrom to lie adjacent and against said shirt's front panel, and said bottom part adapted to be engaged by said microphone clip for releasably attaching said microphone to said sling.

A preferred embodiment of the internal cargo pocket portion of this invention herein which comprises a pair of pants including an internal cargo pocket comprises:

a. a pair of pants having an upper portion with a waistband, and left and right leg portions extending downward from said upper portion, each leg portion having a top part, a bottom cuff part and an intermediate part, each leg portion formed by front and rear panels which are joined along their side edges as inner and outer seams respectively, said seams extending from said cuff part upward to said upper portion of said pants, said inner seams of said two leg portions being adjacent each other, and said outer seams being remote from each other, and

b. at least one internal cargo pocket formed by inner and outer panels, said panels having respective bottom and side edges joined together respectively as closed sides and a closed bottom of said cargo pocket, said panels having respectively top edges separate from each other and defining a top opening of said cargo pocket, each of said top edges extending transversely across said outer seam of said leg portion and overlying and joined to parts of said front and rear panels adjacent said outer seam.

One preferred embodiment of the shirt with belly pocket invention comprises:

a. a back panel with top and bottom parts, side edges and a central longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom parts,

b. left and right front panels, each having top and bottom parts, and opposite inner and outer side edges, said outer side edges of said front panels respectively being attached to one of said side edges of said back panel forming an attachment area, where each attachment area is a longitudinal zone generally parallel to said central longitudinal axis, said front panels' inner edges adapted to overlie and be releasably secured to each other, preferably with a placket along one of said inner edges,

c. an arm part attached between and to each of said front panels and said back panel near said top parts thereof,

d. at least one of said attachment areas including a longitudinal opening at an elevation below said arm part and above said bottom part of said back and front panels, said opening defined by front and rear edges of said front and back panels respectively,

e. a belly pocket formed of front and rear sheets, said belly pocket closed at the top and bottom and having one end closed and an opposite end that is open and defined by front and rear lips of said front and rear sheets respectively, said pocket having a central longitudinal axis extending between its ends generally transversely of said central longitudinal axis of said back panel,

f. said belly pocket situated to lie adjacent a first of said front panels, with said closed end of said belly pocket attached to said inner edge of said first front panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof, and said open end of said belly pocket attached to said attachment area with said front and rear lips of said belly pocket attached to said front and rear edges of said opening respectively, and

g. closure means for releasably joining said front and rear lips of said pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a shirt of the new shirt-and-pants combination with a shirttail retainer.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the shirt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top front perspective view of the pants of the new shirt-and-pants combination with the new internal cargo pocket.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the pants of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4A is a fragmentary detail of FIG. 4 showing the outseam, stripe and buttonhole tab.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in section taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4, showing the internal cargo pocket.

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the internal cargo pocket alone.

FIG. 7 is a top front perspective view of the cargo pocket of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation exploded view of a shirt-and-pants combination.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary detail view of the shirt-and-pants combination.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of an epaulet and microphone sling as seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in section taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a woman's uniform shirt showing in dashed line a belly pocket concealed behind the right front panel of the shirt.

FIG. 13A is a bottom perspective view of the belly pocket separate from the shirt.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 in FIG. 13, showing the concealed belly pocket inward of the standard external front breast pocket.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 16-16 in FIG. 13 of said concealed pocket.

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of the shirt of FIG. 13 with a document being inserted into the belly pocket.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line 17-17 in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of the man's uniform shirt showing in dashed line the belly pocket concealed behind the left front panel of the shirt.

FIG. 19 is a sectional plan view taken along line 19-19 in FIG. 18 showing the concealed pocket.

FIG. 20 is a sectional elevational view taken along line 20-20 in FIG. 18 showing the concealed pocket.

FIG. 21 is a sectional plan view taken along line 21-21 in FIG. 18 showing details of the zipper closure beneath the placket of the shirt.

FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of the shirt of FIG. 18 with a document being inserted into the belly pocket.

FIG. 23 is a sectional plan view taken along line 23-23 in FIG. 22 showing details of the zipper closure situated within the seam joining the front and back panels of the shirt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 1. Shirttail Retainer Feature

For convenience and clarity in describing these embodiments, similar elements or components appearing in different figures will have the same reference numbers.

The shirttail retainer feature 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 8-10. This feature functions by the cooperation of vertical friction strips 12 on the shirttail 14 of shirt 15 and a horizontal friction strip 16 on the inside surface of the pants waistband 17.

FIGS. 1, 2, 9 and 10 show the four vertical strips 12 on the front and rear, right and left portions of shirttail 14. Each strip 12 is about 3 inches long and ½ inch wide and is comprised of soft silicone rubber about 1/32 to 1/16 inch thick, with the four edges of each strip sewn to the shirttail.

The shirt is constructed typically of right and left front panels 16R, 16L, right and left rear parts 17R,17L formed as a single rear panel, and various other component parts for the sleeves, cuffs, collar 20, pockets, epaulets 22, buttons, stitching and optional ornamentation.

The friction strips 12 are located generally in the middle of each front panel 16L,16R on each of rear panel 17L,17R and at an elevation intended for them to lie generally adjacent the inside surface of waistband 19 of pants 20 waist as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10. The number and placement and sizes of these strips 12 can vary, so long as there is enough frictional surface to effectively engage the pants waistband friction strip 18 for retention of the shirttail.

As seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 8, the pants friction strip 18 extends around substantially the entire circumference, except for the break at the fly. Thus, this pants friction strip is essentially continuous; however, a strip of spaced-apart segments could be used. FIGS. 8 and 9 show conventional external belt loops 19A.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the juxtaposition of vertical strips 12 of the shirttail with the horizontal strip 18 of the pants waistband, when such shirt and pants are worn by a person in a conventional way. Since the length dimension shirt strips 12 is considerably greater than the height dimension of pants strip 18, the shirt-and-pants strips will become coupled even though there may be substantial variations in the dimensions of torsos, waists, chests, stomachs, etc.

The nature of these silicone rubber (or other sticky or textured substance) strips 12 and 18 is that with even mild surface-to-surface pressure contact, which will vary with the tightness or fit of the pants, frictional forces will develop, and the shirttail 14 will be retained from being pulled upward from waistband 19. Similarly, these frictional forces will help restrain the pants from slipping downward away from the shirt, even when the pants are urged downward by the weight of a gun belt, or a utility belt for other equipment, or by the weight of heavy objects in the pants pockets. They will likewise serve to keep the shirt tucked into the pants even while running or squatting or bending during work.

FIG. 10, dimensioned not necessarily to scale shows schematically, the engagement of waistband friction strip 18 with a shirttail friction strip 12. In FIG. 10 the strip 18 is shown with a slightly accurate exposed surface pressing into a shirttail strip 12; however, strip 18 might be flat or have another contour, so long as it contacts the exposed surfaces of shirttail vertical strips 12. Additional dimensional and shape variations are possible for strips 12, which may vary from the rectangular shape illustrated herein. With a shirttail so restrained, the result will be more comfortable attire for the benefit of the wearer, and a neater and more professional appearance, likely to please both the wearer and observers. Also, with this shirttail retainer, shirts can be made with shorter shirttails, which fit better and are more comfortable in warm weather. A still further benefit is that the cooperating shirt and pants of this invention have use not limited to being used together. The shirt of this invention can be used with any pants, and the pants of this invention can be used with any shirt, obviously without the full benefit of the shirttail retaining invention.

2. Hidden Cargo Pocket Feature

The new hidden cargo pocket may be constructed in a variety of ways. FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 show aspects of one embodiment of the new hidden cargo pocket 36. As seen, pocket 36 is generally rectangular and formed of outer and inner fabric panels 37,38 joined at the sides 38S and bottom 39 and open at the top. The pocket has top and bottom lips 40,41 defining the pocket opening 42. The pocket is closable by zipper 43 which is attached to the top and bottom strips 40A,40B. Zipper is covered by pocket flap or welt 45. As indicated above, the pocket and its attachment to the pants may vary.

FIGS. 3, 5 and 9 show how cargo pocket 36 hangs downward. FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 9 show a button 44 at the lower outside surface of pocket 36 for attachment into slot in tab 46 sewn to the inside surface of leg seam 48. By this feature cargo pocket 36 can be secured from flopping about when the wearer walks or runs, especially if the pocket contains one or more heavy objects, and from sagging down when the wearer sits.

Decoupling of button 44 obviously allows the pocket to be flipped away from seam 48 so that during initial manufacture or post-manufacture customization, a uniform or identifying stripe 50 can be easily sewn onto the outside surface of the seam from the cuff upward to the pocket opening 42 and a second stripe segment is sewn from the waist down to the pocket opening and onto pocket flap 45. Without the releasable button 44, conventional sewing of a uniform stripe would either: (a) cause the pocket to be captured during the sewing and sewn flat and close to the seam, or (b) cause extremely impractical manipulation of the pocket to avoid being sewn closed. Placement of the tab 46 with button slot perpendicular to the outseam with the buttonhole extending beyond the outseam toward the pant front, as seen in FIG. 4A, allows for unimpeded sewing of the stripe (traditionally placed over the outseam slightly off-center toward the pant back), while still permitting ease of buttoning to re-secure the pocket. Also seen in FIG. 4A, the stripe 50 is offset slightly to the rear from the outseam.

The practical aspect of manufacture and post-manufacture customization of these uniforms cannot be disregarded, because without highly efficient manufacture (cutting, assembling and sewing) and post-manufacture customization by dealers/distributors, these uniforms cannot be customized and sold at a reasonable cost.

It is particularly common and usually required, by tradition and/or function, that these types of uniforms for law enforcement and other activities include stripes to identify the wearers as being authentic and professional, and sometimes being to identify rank and authority.

It has been determined that cargo pockets are extremely useful, favored and/or demanded by many wearers who must carry an excessive amount of equipment. However, conventional external and externally visible cargo pockets have been objected to by many law enforcement officials, where overall good appearance, including striping along the outer leg seam is mandatory. A cargo pocket that is hidden, internally restrained and/or allows for leg striping constitutes a novel and very useful construction.

3. Microphone Sling Feature

As seen in FIGS. 1, 11 and 12, the new microphone sling 60 is a generally elongated fabric strip whose top end 61 is removably positioned beneath epaulet 24 by attachment of the buttonhole 62 onto button 63 which is sewn onto the shoulder of 15 beneath epaulet 24. This is a conventional epaulet that lies atop the shirt shoulder, and in this case has outer end 64 sewn to the shoulder and inner end 65 buttoned down (or secured with snap or Velcro®) to the shoulder by button 66. Thus, button 63 is essentially hidden by epaulet 24, whether this button stands alone or is coupled to the top end 61 of microphone sling 60. The bottom part 67 of microphone sling includes a short horizontal strip 68 having its ends sewn to sling 60, thus leaving its top and bottom edges 70 unattached to the sling. Accordingly, a clip or other attached element can be easily connected to strip 68. In practice, a small microphone 71 (see FIG. 1) would include a clip for attachment to strip 68.

Many variations for attachment of the microphone to the sling are possible, but the objects here are:

a. to removably attach the microphone to the shirt without clipping to and damaging (or pulling for unsightly appearance) the collar, lapel, pocket or epaulet,

b. to position the microphone in a functionally preferable location adjacent the collar, below the epaulet and above the pocket,

c. to provide a coupling means (the sling) where the attachment means to the shirt is invisible (button hidden beneath epaulet), the sling may be totally removable when not needed with no residual evidence of its coupling, and may be replaced if and when damaged.

The pants and shirt of this invention can be made of any conventional fabric, but in a preferred embodiment are made of a colorfast, breathable, comfortable, durable, wrinkle resistant fabric utilizing nano technology to provide water and stain resistance and/or moisture management. One further option with the microphone sling and with the hidden cargo pocket is to replace the button connections with Velcro® or other fastener means.

4. Concealed Belly Pocket

Two embodiments of the new uniform shirt and belly pocket combination are illustrated in FIGS. 13-23 as described below.

The first embodiment seen in FIGS. 13-17 was initially contemplated as a uniform shirt for female police officers because the concealed pocket could be accessed without unbuttoning the front of the shirt; however, this shirt could be used by male officers as well. In FIGS. 13 and 16 uniform shirt 80 comprises a back panel 81, right front panel 82, right front outer pocket 83, left front panel 84, left front outer pocket 85, right arm 86, left arm 87, collar 88 and placket 89 as a strip with button holes extending down the inside edge 90 of right front panel 82.

As seen in FIG. 13, outside edge 81A of back panel 81 lies adjacent outer edge 82A of right front panel, these edges 81A, 82A being sewn together in seam 91 that extends from the bottom of right arm 86 down to the bottom of shirt 80. The left side shirt structure is similar. In this specification “inner” edge of a front panel will mean the edge near the center which is buttoned to an opposite inner edge of the other front panel, and “outer” edge will mean the edge near the side of the shirt under the arm.

The new concealed belly pocket 92, shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 13 and 16, extends horizontally from its vertical slit opening 94 seen in FIG. 16, that extends in and along seam 91, and across the front of the shirt, but immediately behind front right panel 82. As seen in FIGS. 13, 14, 15 and 16, pocket 92 is closed at the top, bottom and closed end as indicated by dashed lines 92A, 92B and 92C respectively in FIGS. 13 and 16 and by sewn junctions in FIGS. 14, 15 and 17, and has its open end 92D coincide with slit 94 in seam 91.

As seen in FIG. 16 the wearer of this shirt can insert an article, such as a confidential envelope 95, into the slit opening 94 of pocket 92, where the article can be concealed adjacent the wearer's belly. The construction of pocket 92 utilizes a common, basic shirt structure as a foundation, while producing a well-concealed but readily accessible pocket. The pocket shown in FIGS. 13 and 16 and in section in FIGS. 14, 15 is generally rectangular, comprising overlying elongated front and rear sheets 96, 97 joined at the top edge 92A, bottom edge 92B, and at the inside edge 92C, and open at outside edge 92D.

FIG. 13A shows pocket 92 separate from the shirt, the pocket comprising front and rear sheets 96-97 respectively and zipper 99 which is discussed in further detail later.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view through left front panel 82 and belly pocket 92, including front and rear sheets 96, 97 of said pocket. As seen in FIG. 15 pocket 92 has its closed and open ends 92C,92D attached to the shirt, while its top and bottom parts 92A,92B remain unattached to the shirt, so that a person looking at the front of the shirt would not see any stitches revealing the pocket behind the panel. For the pocket attachment, rear sheet 97 of pocket 92 has its inner edge 97A sewn onto placket 89, as seen in FIG. 15, and its outer edge 97B of rear sheet 97 sewn onto the folded-over flap 81B of back panel 81. Front sheet 96 of pocket 92 has its inner edge 96A sewn onto back sheet 97 at junction 96C, and its outer edge 96B folded as a flap and sewn onto folded over flap 82B of front panel 82. The junction of the outer open end 92D of pocket 92 is further shown in enlarged view FIG. 17, where front sheet 96 of pocket 92 has its outer edge or flap 96B folded and sewn.

For additional strength an extra strip of material 96D is included where flap 96B is sewn to flap 82B of front panel 82. Also shown in FIG. 17 is the junction of flap 81B of rear panel 81, strip 99A of zipper 99, and flap 97B of rear sheet 97 of pocket 92.

As evident from FIGS. 16 and 17 the article 95 is being inserted into pocket 92 via the opening 94 established by zipper 99.

As seen in FIG. 15, when zipper 99 is closed, the flap 81B of back panel 81 and the flap 82B of front panel 82 enclose and conceal zipper 99, so that there is no evidence of the existence of the concealed pocket 92. Above and below zipper 99 is the normal sewn seam 91 joining the back and front panels 81,82.

FIGS. 18-23 illustrate the second embodiment of the present shirt and concealed belly pocket invention, where shirt 101 has concealed belly pocket 102 with a zipper opening 103 along the edge 105 of the placket 106, with FIG. 22 showing a document 107 being inserted into the unzipped opening.

This shirt comprises back panel 81, front left panel 84, front right panel 82, placket 106 fixed to left front panel 84, buttons 101B fixed to right front panel 82, arms 108L and 108R, and as seen in FIG. 19, seam 109 joining outer edges 81A, 84A of said back and front panels, respectively. Front and rear sheets 102A, 102B of pocket 102 are joined at the top in seam 102C and at the bottom in seam 102D as seen in FIG. 20. This pocket is secured to the shirt essentially only by said outer seam 109 joining left front panel 84 and back panel 81, and by the open end of the pocket at the placket as follows.

As seen in FIG. 23 pocket 102 comprises front and rear sheets 102A, 102B. Edge 102E of inner sheet 102A is joined to zipper edge 105 and to front panel edge 84B. Rear sheet 102B of pocket 102 has its inner edge 102C fixed to placket 106 and to zipper part 105A in a laminate bundle 114. The outer end of pocket 102 is secured at seam 109 to folded flap 84B of left front panel 84, as seen in FIG. 19. With zipper 104 open as seen in FIGS. 22 and 23, an article can be easily inserted or removed.

Belly pocket 102 is thus attached to the shirt only (a) at the pocket's closed end 100B to seam 109 beneath arm 108L, and (b) at the pocket's open end 102A adjacent placket 106. Access to the pocket via zipper 110 is achieved by pulling up the edge 106A of placket 106 which exposes the zipper.

FIG. 20 illustrates an optional concealed support strap 120 situated inside the shirt and extending from the top 102C of belly pocket 102 to an area at the rear of the front panel breast pocket 85. This optional strap can help keep pocket 102 from sagging if it contains one or more heavy articles.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with several embodiments, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A shirt comprising: a. a back panel with top and bottom parts, side edges and a central longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom parts, b. left and right front panels, each having top and bottom parts and opposite inner and outer side edges, said outer side edges of said front panels respectively being attached to one of said side edges of said back panel forming attachment areas, where each of said attachment areas is a longitudinal zone generally parallel to said central longitudinal axis, said front panels' inner edges adapted to overlie and be releasably secured to each other, c. an arm part attached between and to each of said front panels and said back panel near said top parts thereof, d. at least one of said attachment areas including a longitudinal opening at an elevation below said arm part and above said bottom part of said back and front panels, said opening defined by front and rear edges of said front and back panels respectively, e. a concealed belly pocket formed of front and rear sheets, said belly pocket closed at the top and bottom and having one end closed and an opposite end that is open and defined by front and rear lips of said front and rear sheets respectively, said pocket having a central longitudinal axis extending between its ends generally transversely of said central longitudinal axis of said back panel, f. said belly pocket situated to lie adjacent a first of said front panels, with said closed end of said belly pocket attached to said inner edge of said first front panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof, and said open end of said belly pocket attached to said attachment area associated with said first front panel and with said front and rear lips of said belly pocket attached to said front and rear edges of said opening respectively of said opening, and g. closure means for releasably joining said front and rear lips of said pocket.
 2. A shirt according to claim 1 wherein said closure means is a zipper comprising adjacent toothed strips engageable to each other, each of said strips fixed to one of said lips of said belly pocket.
 3. A shirt according to claim 1 wherein said attachment area is a seam, and in said attachment area said side edge of said back panel and said outside edge of said front panel each have a flap folded inwardly away from said seam, and said closure means is a zipper comprising a set of adjacent engageable strips attached respectively to said flaps, and said belly pocket's front and rear lips are attached to said zipper strips, whereby closure of the zipper closes said belly pocket.
 4. A shirt according to claim 3 wherein said attachment area in the vicinity of said belly pocket comprises: A. a first laminate of (1) said flap of one of said front panels, (2) a first of said zipper strips, and (3) one of said lips of said belly pocket, and B. a second laminate of (1) said flap of said back panel, (2) the other of said zipper strips, and (3) the other of said lips of said belly pocket.
 5. A shirt according to claim 1 wherein said closure means is a zipper comprising adjacent toothed strips engageable to each other, each of said strips fixed to one of said edges of said back and front panels joined at said attachment area.
 6. A shirt comprising: a. a back panel with top and bottom parts, side edges and a central longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom parts, b. left and right front panels having inside surfaces which overlie said back panel, each of said front panels having top and bottom parts and opposite inner and outer side edges, said outer side edges of said front panels respectively being attached to one of said side edges of said back panel forming an attachment area, where each attachment area is a longitudinal zone generally parallel to said central longitudinal axis, said front panels' inner edges being adapted to overlie and be releasably secured to each other, each of said front panels having an inside surface facing said back panel, c. an arm part attached between and to each of said front panels and said back panel near said top parts thereof, d. said inner edge of a first of said front panels having a terminal margin and including a longitudinal opening situated between said top and bottom parts of said front panel and situated inward of said terminal edge, said opening defined by left and right lips, e. a belly pocket formed of front and rear sheets, said belly pocket closed at the top and bottom and having one end closed and an opposite end that is open and defined by front and rear lips of said front and rear sheets respectively, said pocket having a central longitudinal axis extending between its ends generally transversely of said central longitudinal axis of said back panel, f. said belly pocket situated to overlie said inside surface of said first front panel, with said closed end of said belly pocket attached to said attachment area intermediate the top and bottom thereof, and said open end of said belly pocket attached to said attachment area with said front and rear lips of said belly pocket attached to said inner edge of said front panel front and rear lips of said belly pocket attached to said left and right edges of said opening respectively, and g. closure means for releasably joining said front and rear lips of said pocket.
 7. A shirt comprising: a. a back panel with top and bottom parts, side edges and a central longitudinal axis extending between said top and bottom parts, b. left and right front panels, each having a top part joined to a top part of said back panel, a bottom part, and opposite inner and outer side edges, said outer side edges of said front panels respectively being attached to one of said side edges of said back panel in a seam junction, said front panels' inner edges adapted to overlie and be releasably secured to each other, c. an arm part attached between and to each of said front panels and said back panel near said top parts thereof, d. at least one of said seams including a longitudinal opening at an elevation below said arm part and above said bottom part of said back and front panels, said opening defined by front and rear edges of said front and back panels respectively, e. a concealed belly pocket formed of front and rear sheets, said belly pocket closed at the top and bottom and having one end closed and an opposite end that is open and defined by front and rear lips, said pocket having a central longitudinal axis extending between its ends generally transversely of said central longitudinal axis of said back panel, f. said belly pocket situated to lie adjacent a first of said front panels, with said closed end of said belly pocket attached to said inner edge of said first front panel intermediate the top and bottom thereof, and said open end of said belly pocket attached to said seam with said first front and rear lips of said belly pocket attached to said front and rear edges of said opening respectively, and g. closure means for releasably joining said front and rear lips of said pocket. 